Putin admits Ukrainian strikes harm Russia but downplays impact
Putin acknowledges Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure cause harm, while insisting they have no critical consequences.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that Ukrainian strikes on industrial and infrastructure facilities inside Russia are causing damage, while insisting the attacks have no critical consequences.
Speaking at a meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects in Moscow on Wednesday, Putin said the attacks "certainly cause us harm" even though they have never had — and never will have — a decisive impact.
Putin also said logistics and warehousing infrastructure damaged in the strikes would need to be rebuilt, and called on the government to adopt a support program for reconstruction. He stressed that any rebuilding should use state-of-the-art technology.
Kyiv has intensified its long-range strikes on Russian territory this year, using missiles and drone swarms to target military industries and energy facilities. Attacks have also repeatedly hit large Wildberries distribution centres, destroying merchandise worth billions of dollars belonging to the Russian online retail giant.
The strikes have brought the effects of the war closer to the Russian public, nearly four and a half years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.